


Best Laid Plans

by startrekkingaroundasgard



Category: Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: F/F, Fluff, Forehead Kisses, Monsters, Movie Night, Touching, horror movie
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-11
Updated: 2020-02-11
Packaged: 2021-02-28 06:08:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,534
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22669033
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/startrekkingaroundasgard/pseuds/startrekkingaroundasgard
Summary: The Doctor sets up a film night for the reader but while they are watching a horror film together they are attacked by a real monster inside the TARDIS.
Relationships: Thirteenth Doctor/Reader
Comments: 4
Kudos: 48





	Best Laid Plans

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first doctor who fanfic so please let me know what you thought!

“What’s this?”

The TARDIS steps were lined with circular cushions - the clashing colours cosy in a way that probably should work - fluffy blankets from Epsilon Minor, a market town you and the Doctor had visited a few months ago, and an exceptionally large bowl of slightly burned popcorn.The Doctor stretched out in the centre of the pile, a bright smile on her face. “It’s movie night!" 

You lay down beside her, wondering what hint the TARDIS was trying to make when the golden lights dimmed slightly. Running your fingers over the soft fibres of the blanket, you asked, "What prompted this?”

“I know the last few trips have been… Difficult,” she said, her expression growing sad. The Doctor had taken you to multiple planets this week only to find that each and every one had been decimated by war, famine or disease. The glorious forests and ancient architecture she’d promised had been burned to the ground and you’d ended up facing off a particularly nasty war lord who’d taken it upon himself to make your life a misery. You’d only just escaped him in the Kekuloon Nebula and the cost of crumbling his empire had been high.

Hiding her regrets beneath a wobbly smile, The Doctor said, “I thought we could both use a nice quiet night in. The TARDIS has the biggest collection of films in the universe so let’s make use of it. If you want.”

“Sounds perfect,” you said, shuffling closer to the Doctor. With literally millions of films to choose from, the decision naturally took a while. However, eventually, you settled on a horror film from the 31st century, supposedly a classic if the TARDIS databanks were to be believed - and they generally were. 

The Doctor rolled over onto her side and met your gaze, her brown eyes almost golden in the console room light. “Are you sure you want to watch this?" 

"It’ll be fun!” you exclaimed, brushing a loose piece of hair from her face. “Plus, I know you’ll protect me from the monsters. You always do.”

The lights dimmed as the film began and you soon found yourself cuddled right up with the Doctor. Despite your earlier bravado, it was a scary film and on multiple occasions you buried your head in her shoulder, taking comfort from her soft hand in yours. She pulled you beneath her own blanket and wrapped an arm around you, her light embrace eased the tension from your body.

More focused on the Doctor than the film, you soon lost the story. As you tuned back in, the background music slowly edging forward in a way that set you right on edge, you heard a scratching from above. You briefly glanced around the TARDIS and saw nothing, so put it down to the regular running of the ship. 

“Are you alright?” The Doctor whispered. You quickly assured her that you were fine.

But as the minutes passed, the sharp sounds of metal scraping against metal grew closer. You tried to focus on the plot but were so distracted that you barely even flinched at the next jump scare. You were acutely aware of every noise the TARDIS was making now, attuned to the rhythm of her systems and more convinced than ever that there was something else crawling around in the dark. 

In your peripheral, a shadow caught your attention. Feigning calm, you murmured, “Doctor… I think there’s something in here with us.”

“It’s probably just your imagination,” she said soothingly. “In the thirty-first century, these movies used specially created soundwaves to induce paranoia in the audience to make it a better viewing experience.”

Her logical assessment did little to ease your nerves. You couldn’t shake the feeling that you were being watched from the darkness and now you could hear a third set of breathing, uneven and ragged. “Doctor, I’m serious, there’s something here.”

Just as she opened her mouth to respond, a giant creature crashed down from the ceiling. Its teeth were larger than your entire arm, sharp as blades and its breath… Well, rotting corpses would have smelt better. The beast’s eyes glowed red, narrowing in on you as it roared, spit flying everywhere. 

The Doctor pulled you to your feet and dragged you behind her, shouting, “Run!”

“What is it?” you screamed, barely audible over the ear splitting sound of the creature’s claws scraping against the metal floor. Its gait was far larger than yours and the sharp twisting corners of the TARDIS were doing little to slow it down. 

“No idea,” The Doctor admitted. She whipped her sonic screwdriver from her pocket and waved it in the creature’s direction, not slowing down a beat. The look on her face did little to quench your fear as she tugged you down a small corridor, barely large enough for the two of you to fit through. “It’s a borrari. Genetically engineered creatures, designed to hunt down and kill anything that isn’t Vorra. One of the best sense of smells in the galaxy. Almost impossible to train and even more impossible to outrun.”

You ducked through a low doorway, breathing heavily as you rest your back against the metal door. “How did it get on to the TARDIS?”

“Don’t know,” The Doctor said, already working on barricading the door. She pushed huge crates up against the entrance, urging you to help the moment your breathing returned to normal. “As many as you can. It won’t keep it out but it will slow it down.”

Outside, the borarri was squeezing through the thin corridor, its teeth and claws tearing through the TARDIS walls to get to you. Wasting no time, you followed the Doctor’s orders and continued to work on the barricade as she started sifting through the nearest set of drawers. 

This room, whatever it was, seemed to go on forever. The curved ceiling was higher than a skyscraper and the cases, drawers and bookshelves somehow reached the top with ease. Sensing your awe, the Doctor looked over her shoulder and explained, “TARDIS archives. You’d be surprised how much you pick up after a few thousand years travelling. Now, where is it?”

Using your entire weight to shift a shelf, redoubling your efforts when the borarri dented the door from the other side, you huffed, “What are you looking for?”

“Vorra sedative. I know I had some - No, wait! Used it on the lobster queen last month. Damn.” She slammed the drawer shut and started pacing, never a good sign. “There must be something…”

“Can we not just hit it round the head?” You grabbed a thick wooden stick, clinging desperately to it as the door bulged inwards, ready to defend yourself and The Doctor if necessary. 

"Its skull is too thick to do any damage. Come on brain, think!“

Tightening your grip on the makeshift weapon, which you suspected was actually a musical instrument and not a cricket bat, you asked, "What about… You said it had a really strong sense of smell. Could we wave something really strong in its big ugly face and knock it out?”

The Doctor’s face lit up. She bounced over to you, caught your face in her hands and kissed your forehead. “Brilliant! You’re brilliant! I have just the thing.”

She flung open another drawer and pulled out a perfume bottle containing a bright blue liquid. “Stay behind me.”

Less than a second later, the borarri burst into the archives, sending your barricade flying. It bared its teeth and released a deep guttural growl that shook your very bones. It took a step forward, the floor bending beneath its weight, towering over you like every worst nightmare personified. 

However, before it could get any closer, The Doctor sprayed it with the perfume bottle, fingers crossed behind her back in desperate hope that this would actually work. Thankfully, it did. The creature scuttled backwards, clawing at its face. She sprayed it again and the borarri started to wheeze, shaking its head as it frantically tried to back away from the smell. 

It barely made it back into the console room before collapsing in a giant heap by the door. Out cold and no longer as dangerous, in the bright golden lights of the TARDIS, it no longer looked quite so scary. In fact, it was sort of like a big puppy. If puppies had claws and scales and could eat you in one bite. 

After a quick stop to Vorrana 3 to deliver the creature back home, The Doctor caught your arm and said, “I’m sorry our evening was ruined.”

“It’s alright.”

“No, it isn’t. I just wanted to give you a normal night to relax.”

“I don’t travel with you for the normality, Doctor.” You sat down in the messy, slightly slobbery, pile of cushions and patted the space beside you. “Let’s watch something else. The night is still young.”

The Doctor smiled, quick to join you on the ground. “The night is always young in the TARDIS. It’s always Tuesday or Christmas or whenever you want it to be. Perks of a time machine.”

“I don’t care when it is, Doctor, just that whenever, wherever I am that I’m with you.”


End file.
